Annual Report 2009 EPIPHANY SERVES 86 STUDENTS IN GRADES 5-8, ALL FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS. MOST ARE ADMITTED BY LOTTERY, BUT WE RESERVE 20% OF OUR SPOTS FOR CHILDREN INVOLVED WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILIES. BECAUSE OF OUR CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH FAMILIES, SIBLINGS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ADMITTED. WE CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR MORE THAN 150 GRADUATES THROUGH OUR GROUND-BREAKING GRADUATE SUPPORT PROGRAM. AN EPIPHANY EDUCATION IS BASED ON INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION AND ESSENTIAL SKILL-BUILDING, AND WE PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH FAR-REACHING WEBS OF SUPPORT. WE REQUIRE TWELVE HOUR SCHOOL DAYS, SMALL CLASSES, AND TUTORING. WE SERVE THREE MEALS DAILY, OFFER INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS AND FITNESS PROGRAMS, AND ENSURE STUDENTS RECEIVE IMPORTANT MEDICAL CARE. WE PROVIDE ALL GRADE LEVELS WITH HIGH- QUALITY PROGRAMMING ELEVEN MONTHS A YEAR, KEEPING STUDENTS LEARNING, ENGAGED, AND SAFE. MANY OF OUR GRADUATES REMAIN ACTIVE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO ENSURE THAT EACH CHILD WE SERVE SUCCEEDS IN SCHOOL AND LIFE. NEVER GIVE UP ON A CHILD. Dear Friends, 1 9 0 Every day at Epiphany offers its share of inspiration. : R A Students develop confidence and unlock their talents. In what feels like a moment, they emerge from childhood more mature and accomplished, ready for the challenges of high school. This year’s Y N graduating class had many students who arrived at Epiphany with their share of struggles. Four years A later, however, as a result of their hard work and the support and education Epiphany provides, each H P has achieved an extraordinary amount. Collectively, they have grown into exceptional students and I P young people. (See their list of high school acceptances on page 16.) E Epiphany’s donors inspire us, too. In the midst of a global economic downturn, Epiphany’s supporters have remained clear that what we do matters, that it works, and that it changes young peoples’ lives. Thanks to your tremendous generosity, we reached ambitious fundraising goals set back in the halcyon days of early spring 2008. Moving forward, we have adopted a rigorous and conservative budgeting process but have not cut into our core program. As with our students, we know our future depends on hard work, perseverance, and the support of our friends. We thank you! This Annual Report gives you a look inside the school, and we hope it inspires you. You can learn about some of Epiphany’s gifted teachers, the curriculum they develop, and the impact their pedagogy has on our students. Our new Strategic Plan, adopted this year, focuses on sustaining our academic excellence. You will hear in this report from two amazing English teachers, one at the beginning of her career, one a seasoned professional. You’ll hear from our Science and Math Department Heads, as well as students they serve. You’ll read about the Boys’ Club and why one of our young teachers felt called to form it. You’ll see, too, photos of our softball team and gain a sense of why the many extra- curricular activities we offer are so important to students. Our new email posts, ‘Always Learning,” focus on Schoolhouse life, written by students and faculty. Please let us know if you want to receive them. Last but not least, you will meet in this report three Epiphany graduates, now college graduates, who returned to Epiphany this fall as Intern Teachers – a remarkable moment in the school’s history. We feel blessed – and tremendously inspired. Sincerely, J O H N F I N L E Y, H E A D O F S C H O O L C H E R Y L A L E X A N D E R , B O A R D P R E S I D E N T P.S. Please be sure to see our “thank you” inside the back cover to the many individuals and organizations who have given so much, most of it pro bono, to make possible this beautiful report. 2 9 0 : R A Y N A H P I P E The principal goal of Epiphany’s Science 3 Department is to develop thoughtful, curious 9 students who will be life-long learners able to use 0 : the scientific method. The curriculum is designed R A to give students a solid foundation of content knowledge supplemented by extensive hands-on Y N activities and demonstrations. We seek to educate A the whole child and work to develop the critical H P thinking and reflective skills necessary to make I P connections between each student’s learning and E the world around them. We are fortunate to have incredible support from donors. Cabot Corporate Foundation’s long-standing support of Epiphany’s Science program in particular has enabled us to develop strong and effective curriculum. We are blessed, too, with amazing students. Their curiosity and hard work motivate us to focus constantly on ways to strengthen what and how we teach. F R A N K P E N N E Y M A S T E R T E A C H E R , C H A I R O F S C I E N C E D E P A R T M E N T k I always looked forward to lab classes in Science. I loved trying new experiments. Science was definitely challenging for me. My teachers, Mr. Bonner and Mr. Penney, made it fun and encouraged me not to give up even when I was discouraged. I don’t know how to repay Epiphany for being such a great school and helping me grow so much. I simply love Epiphany and will never forget the opportunities I got here! M E N A L I S A M E N D E S ’ 0 9 l ST. ANDREW’S SCHOOL (RI) ’13 In 8th grade, we studied the basic premises of physical science, learning about atoms, energy, elements, power, pH levels, and the three states of matter. For my Science Fair project, I tested whether or not pH levels affect the growth of plants and, if so, how. I won second place at Epiphany’s Science Fair and first place in a Regional Fair against other independent schools. Mr. Penney explains topics thoroughly and wants us all to try hard. He pushed me to do thoughtful work. All of Epiphany’s teachers do! The school is like a second home to me because I have built good relationships with my peers and teachers. What I’ve learned here will always stay with me. N G O C V U ’ 0 9 k NOBLE & GREENOUGH SCHOOL ’13 4 Black male youth in our society too often fail to understand the difference between the 9 0 stereotypical black male and a real black man. : R Many feel disenfranchised, lost before they make A an honest effort to use their God-given talents. Y They automatically assume the role of underdog N A because they can’t relate to any success stories H besides rappers, athletes or worse. Many boys P I lack the discipline, knowledge, and resources to P E discover their innate strengths. I know because I grew up on the east side of Detroit. I am proud of my background, but too many of my peers didn’t develop productive skills until adulthood, if then. They needed outside support. So do Epiphany students. That’s why I helped create Boys’ Group. Too many of our young men are infatuated with being a “hustler” – not realizing every man in this world hustles to succeed. Hustling doesn’t mean being dishonest to get an advantage. It means working hard. It means rising to the occasion despite competition and pressure. The goal of Boys’ Group is to help Epiphany boys do away with stereotypes that hold them back. I want them to know that young black men need not be confined to one way of thinking and living. The group’s focus is not about using the gym for basketball on Saturday. It’s not about staying in our comfort zones. It’s about asking students to work together to tackle new experiences so that they can develop new interests, opportunities, and skills. It’s about boys creating strong bonds with each other and adult mentors. These experiences will, I believe, promote an openness and confidence that keep our boys from feeling disenfranchised. They will be able to focus more on achievement. Our boys will learn the truth: each has gifts to offer the world. A R T U R O F O R R E S T 4 T H Y E A R I N T E R N T E A C H E R k I wanted to learn in Boys Group how to become a man. The teachers are mature and want us to see them as leaders, and I do. Being around them, I picked up skills and habits that helped me earn two important school awards. This wouldn’t have been possible without Boys Group. I hope Boys Group continues, and I hope that every boy gets out of it what I have – which is to become a more mature young man. D A R I U S S I M M O N S ’ 1 0 l At first, Boys Group was hard. I was used to playing at my grandmother’s on Saturdays. But I learned that my homework comes first, and then I can play. Next year, I want to help the 5th and 6th graders learn how to face challenges.